RL Smurfs

[Scipion_Emilien]

I cannot wait to see this QtR article. After reading this thread, i m sure i ll run a one shot session with this theme, even more if my players like.

I like the idea of half-mad smurf, has long as their cuteness remain apparent.

About the forest, the fact that it isn t dangerous for smurf could keep the cuteness, but on the others hand if players are shapechange into smurf, will they be spare this?


And uh? Who is the second smurefette?

It struck no one that Gargamel pet have the same name than Soth one? It could perhaps be funny to make a link between those two in your article.

[Catman Jim]

And uh? Who is the second smurefette?

I'm very embarrassed to say that I believe her name was "Sassette".

[tec-goblin]

And she's cutie - one of my favorites!

[tec-goblin]

About the forest, the fact that it isn t dangerous for smurf could keep the cuteness, but on the others hand if players are shapechange into smurf, will they be spare this?

Hmm... will the forest have something of a "detect smurf" ability? Or would it be just visual? I suppose that a polymorph should work (actually, it gives you most of the abilities of the new form). A shapechange DEFINITELY.

(Who the hell would shapechange to a smurf?? )

[tec-goblin]

Here are the contents:

Out of the Blue (introductory)
History
Smurfs in General
[ Appearance
Language
Lifestyle & Education
The Smurf Hero]
The Forest

DM’s Appendix
New Equipment
New Spells
Who’s Smurfed

Anything I forgot? I will start with "The Smurf Hero" part. Any help will be appreciated, particularly in the non-rule parts (I am not a native speaker, so I'll need some help)

[Reginald de Curry]

And uh? Who is the second smurefette?

I'm very embarrassed to say that I believe her name was "Sassette".

Yeah, she came out when they tried to keep the series alive by introducing Smurf kids.

That, and making Azrael their friend.

[Manofevil]

If we're doing the Smurfs, Can we also do the secondary characters? I laughed hard at the Wartmongers. Also, the wizard Balthzar was always a far more formidable opponent than Gargamel. I liked Johann and Peewit, too.
Oddly enough, I found myself attracted to that old show for a lot of the same reasons I like RavenLoft. The characters and settings had the same depth and diversity, outside of the smurfs themselves that is.
Also, I think Jokey Smurf needs some levels of explosives expert. Actually, what do you call a person who uses explosions the same way a pyromaniac uses fire?
Yeah, I know. I liked the Smurfs cartoon. I must belong in therapy. I find myself wondering if there isn't a support group someplace:
" Yes, my name is ***** and I liked the Smurfs cartoon. So much that I never missed an episode."

[Le Noir Faineant]

Is there any good reliable suource on the web for smurfish sciences?

[tec-goblin]

@Desdichado Smurfish sciences? What do you mean? Well, for smurfs in general I use http://www.smurf.com/ a lot for reminding me smurfs and their names in english.

@Manofevil I plan to write full stats for about 5 smurfs, Gargamel and Azrael and short stats for the rest. If you want, you can supply stats for the support non-smurf characters - that would help, because I don't remember well the stories involving them.

I'll write stats in d20 modern. It works great for smurfs, as you'll see (it's intuitive). I'll also post soon a first part of my writing to discuss it and set the right mood.

[Le Noir Faineant]

Ah, this was more or less what I was looking for. Thank you!

[Grigg_Deadbreaker]

You know, if you really think about it, a lot of the old cartoons were kinda disturbing, and could be darkened up for RL.

Example: Strawberry Shortcake

Am I the only one who sees how disturbing it is that the arch-villain of this group composed of about 99% sweet smelling little girls is a creepy guy called the "Purple Pie Eater"?

[tec-goblin]

Well, here's a preview on the Smurf article. Any help will be appreciated. Everyone who wants to write a part or contribute can pm me or email me in nikolaskp@gmail.com , in order to get a .doc copy with the right formatting.

Authors: tec-goblin
Editors: tec-goblin
Thanks to: Desdichado, Ricochet


Out of the Blue 1
History 1
Smurfs in General 1
Appearance 1
Language 1
Lifestyle & Education 2
The Smurf Hero 2
The Forest 3

DM’s Appendix 3
Involving the Players 3
New Equipment 3
New Spells 3
Who’s Smurfed 3
Papa Smurf 3

Out of the Blue
[introductory story, to be supplied]

History
[to be supplied – I need some help here – I don’t remember details]


Smurfs in General

Appearance
Hey, we all know how Smurfs are! You cannot mistake them for something else! They are blue, around 20 centimeters tall and all their characteristics are rounded. They have a cute small Dementlieuse nose and a similar small smurfy tail, while their feet and head too large for their body.
Smurfs tend to smurf white clothing (a pant and a funny cap). Their fashion sense is extremely limited. Even Smurfette has a huge range of copies of the same dress, which look different only in her eyes. Some notable Smurfs, though, may wear yellow or red clothing, using them as mark of status. It is rumored that this serves well the leaders of Smurfs: it makes them stand out in the general uniformity.
Children are the only other part of Smurf population which is not oppressed enough to stand in line. That’s why each Smurfling has its own distinct clothing – Nat, for example, smurfs a yellow t-shirt with a storm design.
Language
Smurf speak Common, and that’s why they can communicate with any lone traveler in their forest. In Ravenloft, where there is no common language, Common is the name of the language used in the domain.
Among themselves, though, Smurfs speak Smurf. Smurf resembles Common, but is more high pitched and is full of cute adjectives and the word “smurf”. Everything becomes “smurf” or “smurfy” or “smurfing”, while any self-respectable Smurf can “smurf” anyone and anything. To most non-Smurfs, the word “smurf” seems too context-sensitive to be understandable.
Lifestyle & Education
[to be supplied. Includes many dread possibilities]
The Smurf Hero
Being Smurf isn’t easy. You are small and blue and have to wear this funny hat. But you are also cute.
Allegiances: Smurfs are rarely really chaotic. After all, they never question Papa Smurf’s authority. Most Smurfs smurf towards allegiance to good and to the other Smurfs. Being an Innocent isn’t rare in the Smurf village as it is in the rest of the Land of the Mists.
Each Smurf also has its own unique allegiance to an idea or a quality (beauty, fitness, laziness etc.).
Classes: Smurfs have enough diversity to be capable to enter any base class, with a tendency towards charismatic hero, but rare is the Smurf dedicated and experienced enough to meet the prerequisites for an advanced class. The rare Smurf who does it, is usually attracted to spellcasting classes, like Shaman or Occultist.
Religion: Smurfs don’t understand the notion of religion. You could hardly find a Smurf acolyte. They venerate nature’s spirits though.
Recommended Skills: Balance, Bluff, Climb, Craft (cooking, explosives, tailoring, woodworking), Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Handle Animal, Hide, Jump, Listen, Knowledge (earth and life sciences), Move Silently, Perform (dance, singing), Profession (farmer, herbalist), Survival, Tumble.
Recommended Feats: Acrobatic, Courage, Creative, Dodge, Mobility, Heroic Surge, Improved Initiative, Stealthy, Run, Weapon Finesse
Names: Most Smurfs have an adjective for a name. It’s usually something cute and smurfy and tends to end with –y. Jokey, Grouchy, Brainy etc. Some rather less imaginative Smurfs are just called by their profession, like “The Cook Smurf”, “The Garbage Collector Smurf” etc.
Adventurers: A Smurf rarely embarks in a long journey far from its home. But the average Smurf has a tendency to be smurfed in unconventional adventures. A picnic in the forest can turn to a full-blown battle with Gargamel, a lone sleeping human traveler could bring the wrath of a Dragon to the village etc. Despite this, Smurf mortality is extremely low. Or something brings Smurfs back from the dead.

SMURF RACIAL TRAITS
• -10 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma: Smurfs are too small to be strong, but their legendarily agile and cute.

• Diminutive: As diminutive creatures, Smurfs gain a +4 size bonus to attack rolls, +4 size bonus to Defense and a +16 size bonus to Hide. Smurfs don’t face any problem hiding among the undergrowth, even though they are blue.
• Speed 20 feet: Smurfs are especially fast for their size.
• See everything in positive light: Smurfs are protected by most Horror effects, because they perceive the world in a different light. A dying person doesn’t seem rotten, blood rarely is perceived by their eyes and shadowy forests seem colorful in an unrealistic way. That’s why Smurfs gain a +4 racial bonus to Horror saves, unless the DM says otherwise.
• Automatic Languages: Smurf and Common. Bonus Languages: Elven and Sylvan

Aging Effects
Race Adulthood Middle Age Old Venerable Maximum Age
Smurf 60 150 400 600 +4d% years

Random Height and Weight
Race Base Height Height Modifier Base Weight Weight Modifier
Smurf 6’’ +d2 2 lb X 0.5 lb
The Forest
[to be supplied – I need help here. I don’t have many ideas regarding this]
DM’s Appendix
Beware, reader. This is the place of dirty little blue secrets. If you are preparing for a life as a Smurf, knowing the following may ruin the surprise of discovering them yourself. Reading the following is un-smurfish.

Involving the Players
[to be supplied – various adventure’s hooks]

New Equipment
[to be supplied – includes Jokey’s bombs]

New Spells
[to be supplied – includes Smurf to Gold spell]

Who’s Smurfed
Statistics below are in d20 modern, but there is some use of Ravenloft and d20 3.5 feats and spells.
Papa Smurf
Male Smurf Smart Hero 1/Charismatic Hero 2/Occultist 4: CR 7; SZ D(humanoid); HD 7d6; hp 24; Mas 11; Init +0; Spd 20ft; Defense 17, touch 17, flat-footed 16; Base Atk +3; Grapple -14; Atk +2 dagger melee (1; 19-20/x2) or +8 dagger ranged (1; 19-20/x2); SQ arcane research coordinate, linguist, shadow contact, SR 9; AL law, Smurfs; SV Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +7; AP 3; Rep+6; Str 1, Dex 12, Con 11, Int 14, Wis 18, Cha 16
Occupation: Aristocrat (class skill: Diplomacy)
Skills and Feats: Bluff +9, Craft (pharmaceutical) +7, Diplomacy +13, Decipher Script +10, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (arcane lore) +12, Knowledge (history) +8, Knowledge (earth and life sciences) +5, Perform (dance) +5, Perform (oratory) +7, Perform (singing) +5, Read/Write Language (Common, Draconic, Elven, Smurf, Sylvan), Research +10, Search +3, Sense Motive +9, Speak Language (Common, Draconic, Elven, Smurf, Sylvan), Use Magic Device +10; Alertness, Brew Potion, Dodge, Leadership, Redhead (detect magic, cure minor wounds), Skill Focus* (Sense Motive);
Scrolls (5/2): 1-level: charm person, comprehend languages, expeditious retreat x2, mage armor; 2-level: hypnotic pattern, knock
Papa Smurf uses his Wealth +12 to find scrolls and brew potions.
*Skill focus appears in standard d20 and not in d20 modern.

Inky, shadow contact (dread companion) – unique shadow dire squirrel, small animal; CR 2; HD 2d8; hp 9; Mas 10; Init +5; Spd 45 ft., climb 45 ft.; AC 17, touch 16, flat-footed 12; Base Atk +1; Grapple -3; Atk bite +6 melee(d4); SA cause fear 1/day (DC 11); SQ cold resistance 7, darkvision 60 ft, low-light vision, scent, shadow blend; AL law, evil; SV Fort +3, Ref +8, Will +0; Str 10, Dex 20, Con 10, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills and Feats: Balance +9, Bluff +5, Climb +8, Diplomacy +2, Jump +4, Hide +11, Move Silently +13, Speak Language (Sylvan); Stealthy, Weapon FinesseB
Dire squirrels have a +4 racial bonus on Balance, Jump and Move Silently checks, and a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks. A dire squirrel can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened.

This Smurf stands out among the general silliness and happiness. Dressed in red and bearing a white beard, this Smurf seems to be the leader of this village. A genuine smile lightens his serious face.

History
No one can imagine the Smurf village without Papa Smurf. Except from Gargamel (who dreams of an empty Smurf village) and, sometimes, Brainy (he has planned a coup at least once).
Papa Smurf is the beacon of wisdom the village needs. Having many times the experience of the average Smurf, and using his vast library and contacts, he knows a way out of each trouble. This situation has been a reality for over 100 years.
What happened, though, before that time? Is Papa Smurf a lone survivor of a previous generation of Smurfs? And if that’s true, what could lead to the extinction of the rest of his line? Or aren’t they really dead? Could they be hiding in the forests of the Core or the islands among the mists? Papa Smurf remains silent on the secrets of his past, which haven’t any real meaning anyway, because they are deep into the Smurf Village’s false history.

Current Sketch
Life is peaceful in the Smurf village. The occasional adventure just ensures that Smurfs believe in the ability of Papa to smurf them out of trouble. Papa Smurf is happy with the way things work, with only a few exceptions, like the fact that sometimes it’s tiring to guide Jokey out of actions that could compromise the belief in the current order of things.
The only new thing in Papa Smurf’s life is his shadow contact, Inky. Inky has already proven that he can learn things and can do small favors no Smurf could handle. He can do the dirty work every leader needs (find a magic ingredient in an unconventional or unsmurfish way). The only problem, though, is that Inky knows he is needed and is quite a good bargainer, always trying to advance his agenda – which involves Papa Smurf smurfing darker measures to increase his power, while increasing Gargamel’s power too – which would smurf up the dependency of Smurfs’ survival on Papa.

Combat
Papa Smurf uses his coordinating skills to lead other Smurfs. His shadow advisor helps him evade catastrophic events. In case of dire emergency, he might use his scrolls to distract his enemies or help Smurfs escape from a dangerous situation.

Lair
Papa Smurf’s home is dominated by a large cauldron on a hearthfire. There are shelves everywhere containing various alchemical concoctions, arcane books and magic ingredients used for his potions. There is no security against stealing all these books – Papa Smurf thinks that the consequences on the rare Smurf using his books without his permission are dire enough to prevent most of them from trying such a thing. It’s not that he will punish the Smurf. It’s the fact that all his receipts and spells are intentionally written in a way which will confuse most Smurfs: they don’t contain the verb “smurf”, nor any smurfy adjectives.

[tec-goblin]

Various of the ideas posted by you on this thread will be incorporated later as dread possibilities - particularly in the Lifestyle section.

[Manofevil]

Smurfs tend to smurf white clothing (a pant and a funny cap). Their fashion sense is extremely limited. Even Smurfette has a huge range of copies of the same dress, which look different only in her eyes. Some notable Smurfs, though, may wear yellow or red clothing, using them as mark of status. It is rumored that this serves well the leaders of Smurfs: it makes them stand out in the general uniformity.
Children are the only other part of Smurf population which is not oppressed enough to stand in line. That’s why each Smurfling has its own distinct clothing – Nat, for example, smurfs a yellow t-shirt with a storm design.

Minor correction: The Smurfling who wears the storm shirt is named Snappy. (For his snappy comebacks) Nat (short for Natural) smurf, as an adult adopted the standard smurf's attire but when accidentally made young by father time with his fellows Snappy and Slouchy, adopted a Huckleberry Finn look with a straw hat (with the distictive smurf's shape and a wide brim) and a single suspender. He also chose to go barefoot. Another reason a smurf might deviate from the standard attire is an extended period of time spent outside the smurf village. IE When the current generation of Smurfs were being delivered as infants to Papa Smurf. One was lost in a terrible accident. So terrible that Papa was unable to speak of it for decades to come. This lost smurf was raised by a family of squirrels and was rediscovered many decades later wearing only a loincloth and a bunch of leaves cobbled together in the distinctive shape of the smurfs hat. Tailor smurf, upon examining it, commented 'This isn't a hat. It's a salad.' Grampa smurf, Papa's Papa smurf as it were, also spent a great deal of time exploring the world and adopted a yellow outfit as did his mentor, Nanny Smurf. I still can't believe how much of this show I remember OY!!!

Who’s Smurfed
Statistics below are in d20 modern, but there is some use of Ravenloft and d20 3.5 feats and spells.
Papa Smurf
Male Smurf Smart Hero 1/Charismatic Hero 2/Occultist 4: CR 7; SZ D(humanoid); HD 7d6; hp 24; Mas 11; Init +0; Spd 20ft; Defense 17, touch 17, flat-footed 16; Base Atk +3; Grapple -14; Atk +2 dagger melee (1; 19-20/x2) or +8 dagger ranged (1; 19-20/x2); SQ arcane research coordinate, linguist, shadow contact, SR 9; AL law, Smurfs; SV Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +7; AP 3; Rep+6; Str 1, Dex 12, Con 11, Int 14, Wis 18, Cha 16
Occupation: Aristocrat (class skill: Diplomacy)
Skills and Feats: Bluff +9, Craft (pharmaceutical) +7, Diplomacy +13, Decipher Script +10, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (arcane lore) +12, Knowledge (history) +8, Knowledge (earth and life sciences) +5, Perform (dance) +5, Perform (oratory) +7, Perform (singing) +5, Read/Write Language (Common, Draconic, Elven, Smurf, Sylvan), Research +10, Search +3, Sense Motive +9, Speak Language (Common, Draconic, Elven, Smurf, Sylvan), Use Magic Device +10; Alertness, Brew Potion, Dodge, Leadership, Redhead (detect magic, cure minor wounds), Skill Focus* (Sense Motive);
Scrolls (5/2): 1-level: charm person, comprehend languages, expeditious retreat x2, mage armor; 2-level: hypnotic pattern, knock
Papa Smurf uses his Wealth +12 to find scrolls and brew potions.
*Skill focus appears in standard d20 and not in d20 modern.

Inky, shadow contact (dread companion) – unique shadow dire squirrel, small animal; CR 2; HD 2d8; hp 9; Mas 10; Init +5; Spd 45 ft., climb 45 ft.; AC 17, touch 16, flat-footed 12; Base Atk +1; Grapple -3; Atk bite +6 melee(d4); SA cause fear 1/day (DC 11); SQ cold resistance 7, darkvision 60 ft, low-light vision, scent, shadow blend; AL law, evil; SV Fort +3, Ref +8, Will +0; Str 10, Dex 20, Con 10, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills and Feats: Balance +9, Bluff +5, Climb +8, Diplomacy +2, Jump +4, Hide +11, Move Silently +13, Speak Language (Sylvan); Stealthy, Weapon FinesseB
Dire squirrels have a +4 racial bonus on Balance, Jump and Move Silently checks, and a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks. A dire squirrel can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened.

This Smurf stands out among the general silliness and happiness. Dressed in red and bearing a white beard, this Smurf seems to be the leader of this village. A genuine smile lightens his serious face.

History
No one can imagine the Smurf village without Papa Smurf. Except from Gargamel (who dreams of an empty Smurf village) and, sometimes, Brainy (he has planned a coup at least once).
Papa Smurf is the beacon of wisdom the village needs. Having many times the experience of the average Smurf, and using his vast library and contacts, he knows a way out of each trouble. This situation has been a reality for over 100 years.
What happened, though, before that time? Is Papa Smurf a lone survivor of a previous generation of Smurfs? And if that’s true, what could lead to the extinction of the rest of his line? Or aren’t they really dead? Could they be hiding in the forests of the Core or the islands among the mists? Papa Smurf remains silent on the secrets of his past, which haven’t any real meaning anyway, because they are deep into the Smurf Village’s false history.

Current Sketch
Life is peaceful in the Smurf village. The occasional adventure just ensures that Smurfs believe in the ability of Papa to smurf them out of trouble. Papa Smurf is happy with the way things work, with only a few exceptions, like the fact that sometimes it’s tiring to guide Jokey out of actions that could compromise the belief in the current order of things.
The only new thing in Papa Smurf’s life is his shadow contact, Inky. Inky has already proven that he can learn things and can do small favors no Smurf could handle. He can do the dirty work every leader needs (find a magic ingredient in an unconventional or unsmurfish way). The only problem, though, is that Inky knows he is needed and is quite a good bargainer, always trying to advance his agenda – which involves Papa Smurf smurfing darker measures to increase his power, while increasing Gargamel’s power too – which would smurf up the dependency of Smurfs’ survival on Papa.

Combat
Papa Smurf uses his coordinating skills to lead other Smurfs. His shadow advisor helps him evade catastrophic events. In case of dire emergency, he might use his scrolls to distract his enemies or help Smurfs escape from a dangerous situation.

Lair
Papa Smurf’s home is dominated by a large cauldron on a hearthfire. There are shelves everywhere containing various alchemical concoctions, arcane books and magic ingredients used for his potions. There is no security against stealing all these books – Papa Smurf thinks that the consequences on the rare Smurf using his books without his permission are dire enough to prevent most of them from trying such a thing. It’s not that he will punish the Smurf. It’s the fact that all his receipts and spells are intentionally written in a way which will confuse most Smurfs: they don’t contain the verb “smurf”, nor any smurfy adjectives.

Note: Papa's age IS known, 543 yrs old. I'd imagine other smurfs ages may be implied from that.

[tec-goblin]

Yes, you are right about Snappy - I'll correct it into my .doc
The notes about appearance too.

Regarding Papa, his ages is 542 when Smurfs started. Their webpage says they don't grow, but that's just a trick to keep old episodes alive. I think that Papa know should be around 590. Anyway, that's how I calculated aging for Smurfs. The typical smurf is 100 years old in the series, so it could be a bit less than 150 now